Selector push bar arrangement



July 19, 1960 A. F. LINDBERG SELECTOR PUSH BAR ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 27, 1957 a INVENTOR 'ARTHUR F. LINDBERG BY @Q ATTORNEY July 19, 1960 A. F. LINDBERG SELECTOR PUSH BAR ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 27, 1957 INVENTOR ARTHUR F. LINDBERG ATTORN Y Unite SELECTOR PUSH BAR ARRANGEMENT Arthur F. Lindberg, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Fairchild Camera & Instrument Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 27, 1957, Ser. No. 705,558

2 Claims. (Cl. 164-112) provement in a keyboard perforator and counter of the type shown in US. Patent No. Re. 22,350, and resides in the substitution of a key controlled power operated code bar actuating mechanism for the manually operated device disclosed in said patent. Briefly, the apparatus according to the present invention, like that shown in said patent, is provided with a keyboard including a series of keylevers each of which performs the function of controlling a permutation selector mechanism of a perforating mechanism, and which, through a push bar mechanism individual to each key, is arranged to control counting code elements contained in removable code bar units. Also, similar to the structure of said patent, the coded elements of each code bar unit are arranged to control a plurality of counting vanes. As in said patent, the counting vanes control, in turn, a differential accumulator mechanism to actuate an indicating device.

A more comprehensive understanding of the invention maybe had by reference to the following description considered in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a keyboard device embodying the key-action arrangement according to the present invention;

Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, are sectional views showing various operational conditions of the key-action mechanism of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a persepective view of the key-action'mechanism according to the present invention, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the bail operating mechanism. 7

Referring to Fig. l, the apparatus comprises a base 21, which supports, as exemplified by the bracket 22, a differential accumulator and indicating mechanism of the nature of those disclosed in said Patent No. Re. 22,350. Base 21, besides supporting the aforementioned mechanism, also houses a series of keylevers 23, a plurality of code barunits or counting magazines 24 and 25, a plurality of groups of counting vanes 26, a key-action mechanism 41 individual to each key, and a permutation selector mechanism, indicated generally at 27, for controlling the operationrof a perforator (not shown).

The keyleve rs, 2,3 are carried pivotally on a .common pivot rod 28 and are normally held in a horizontal position by individual springs 29 against up-stop 31; Each of the keylevers 23 is provided at its forward end with a keytop 32, which keytops are arranged in well known keyboard manner. The keylevers 23 extend over a plurality of pairs of permutation code bars 33 and 34 included in the permutation selector mechanism 27, as fully disclosed in said Patent No. Re. 22,350. Inter-' posed between keylevers 23 and permutation code bars- 33 and 34, and pivotally articulated to said keylevers, are notched code elements 35, one code element being provided for each keylever 23, said code elements 35 being disposed parallel to and in edgewise relation to its corresponding keylever. Code elements 35 are provided with notches arranged in accordance with a permutation code in a well known manner.

Also, positioned below the keylevers 23 in the rear half of the housing 21 are the instrumentalities comprising the selective control means for the differential accumulator. The details of the differential accumulator (not shown) are fully disclosed in said Patent No. Re. 22350, and similar interconnections thereto with the vanes 26 of said control means may be provided. In the embodiment shown, the selective control means for the differential accumulator consists of two groups of rockable counting vanes 26. Positioned below the counting vanes 26 and operably related thereto are the pair of counting magazines'24 and 25 previously mentioned, supported slidably on track members 36 and 37. As indicated in saidPatent Re. 22,350, the magazines24 and 25 are removable and interchangeable units and are eachprovided with a plurality of coded elements or count code blades '38. individual ones of which in magazine 24 are maintained in end to end alignment with corresponding code blades in magazine 25. Code blades 38 are a normally biased rightwardly, as viewed in Fig. l, by individual spring'mexnbers 39.

Having reference to Figs. 1 to 6, with particular reference to Fig. 6, there is located below the keylevers 23 in cooperative relation with both said keylevers and said counting code blades 38, a counting code blade selector unit, indicated generally as 41, carrying a plurality-of push bar mechanisms comprising four cooperating elements constrained to move in a fixed manner by the particular location of a plurality of pivotal points fixedly located in the frame of said selector unit 41. The movable elements of the push bar mechanisms are thepush bar 42, a bush bar depressing rod or spacer means 43,

' a depressing rod pivot link 44 and a push bar spring 45.

The fixed pivot elements which are common to all push bar mechanisms are the link pivot plate 46 and the push bar pivot 47. The push bars 42 are guided in comb slots 48 cut in the side plate 49 of unit 41, the upper ends of the slots 46 providing an up-stop for their respective. push bars 42. The push bars 42 are each provided with; an abuttal portion 30 and a hook portion 40 (Figs. 4, 5 and 6). The side plate 49 is provided with an over-- hanging portion of canopy 51, the free edge of which is: provided with comb slots 52 for guidingthe push bar depressing rods 43. Thus, the structure 41, when assembled with all push bar mechanisms becomes the count code blade selector, which'is slidably'supported onthe universal blade shaft 53, and through rollers'54, ona track 55, to effectuate a shiftingoperation, in the manner disclosed inco-pending application Serial No. 705,579, filed December 27, 1957, by A. Lindberg.

The longitudinal movement of push bars 42 is controlled by two combs, one of which comprises the slots 48 cut in the side plate 49, and the other comb 56 is attached -to the pivot support 57-. Lateral positioning of the depressing rods 43a is controlled by the combslots 52: Power to drive a selected push bar42 when it is per-form'- ing its function of operating, 'in-abutting rn'anner-onepr theother of ..a pairof count code blades 38;-is-derived from a. universal operating blade 'or bar 58 securely-af fixed to the square shaft 53, which blade 58 cooperates with hook portion of push bar 42. Shaft 53 is provided at its ends with cylindrical bearing portions suitably journaled in the housing 21. Rocking motion is imparted to shaft 53 through a lever arm 59 pivotally connected to a link 61, which in turn, as shown in Fig. 7, is pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 62 mounted pivotally at 63 on the housing 21. The vertical arm of bell crank 62 carries a cam follower roller 64 which is urged, under the influence of spring 65, into contact with the periphery of an operating cam 66 carried on the shaft 67, which derives its power from a motor (not shown).

The structural arrangement of the elements 42, 43, 44 and 45 of the push bar mechanism shown, for example, in Figs. 4 and 5, is such that said elements are constrained to move in a predetermined manner toward a condition of equilibrium above a line 68 drawn through pivots 47 and 69. However, due to the location of either the up-stop 71 for push bar 42 or the up-stop canopy 51 for link 44, whichever is chosen to serve as an up-stop, the elements 42 and 45 cannot fully attain the condition of equilibrium. As a consequence, then, the lifting action, obtained from the spring 45 by applying its force to the push bar 42 in such a manner as to result in a greater force acting upward through the depressing rod 43 than is exerted downward by the pivot link 44 through the depressing rod 43, will hold the mechanism against said up-stops. At the same time, the spring force has a component through the push bar 42 urging the push bar 42 to the right (as viewed in Figs. 4 and 5) against the pivot 47.

Having reference to Fig. 6, the link 44 is pivotally joined to the pivot plate 46 by an interlocking notch arrangement 72. The opposite extremity of link 44 is forked to engage the reduced upper portion of rod 43, the ends of the tines 73 being bent over the shoulders of rod 43 to retain said rod 43 in slidable relation therewith. The lower end of rod 43 is forked to fit over the push bar 42 at a notched portion 74 thereof. The push bar 42 is provided with a shoulder portion 75 adapted to bear against the pivot 47. Thus, the joints at the pairs of elements 44 to 43, 43 to 42, and 42 to 47 need no locking elements because they are all held in jointed assembly with one another by the force of the push bar spring 45.

Each keylever 23 representing a character matrix, and therefore requiring a matrix count, has placed just under its lower edge a count code blade push bar mechanism just described, and exemplified by push bar 42. The upper edge of the depressing rod 43 for any given push bar mechanism is juxtapositioned close to, but not touching the lower edge of its corresponding keylever; therefore, the keylever must move a very slight amount before its corresponding depressing rod 43 begins to move downward with it. This clearanceis for the purpose of preventing wear and tear and friction from occurring between the keylevers 23 and the rods 43 during the functional operation of shifting from one case count to the other, which is accomplished by a movement of the counting code blade selector unit 41 along the track 55. The top of the depressing rods 43 are widened so that they will each be depressed by their respective keylever 23 in either of the two case shift positions, as disclosed in said co-pending application Serial No. 705,579. Referring to Fig. 6, two rows of code blades 38 are associated with each push bar 42, so that as a result of the shifting operation the push bar 42 is presented in alignment with either one or the other of the two rows of code blades 38.

Operation of a given push 'bar mechanism is initiated by depressing its associated keylever 23. A first small fraction of the keylever movement is necessary to traverse the clearance between the keylever and the push bar depressing rod 43. Further movement of the keylever 23 lowers the push bar 42 to its selected position, as shown in Fig. 2. At the end of the keylever stroke, a clutch is tripped in the manner, shown in Fig. 5 of US. Patent No. 2,019,505, through the instrumentality of a universal bar 76, comparable to universal bar 55 shown in Fig. 5 of said patent, which permits the main cam shaft 67 to rotate through one operating cycle. During one cycle of operation, the push bar 42 is moved from its position shown in Fig. 2 to its position shown in Fig. 3 and return. This is accomplished upon the oscillation of the universal operating blade 58. The motivating force to operate the universal operating blade 58 is derived through shaft 53 and arm 59 from springs 77 (one at each end of the shaft), which are attached to the arms 59 in such a manner as to normally urge the universal operating blade 58 into its operated or counterclockwise direction. This action is of the permissive type, that is the cam 66 provided the movement to extend the springs 77 and hold the push bar operating (universal) blade 58 in its normally unoperated or clockwise position. When the cam shaft 67 rotates through one cycle of operation, the springs 77 are permitted, by a drop in the cam 66, to move the blade 58 counterclockwise into its operated position; and before the end of the cycle of operation, a rise on the cam 66 restores the blade 58 to its clockwise or unoperated position through its cam follower bell crank 62 and operating link 61. Incidentally, attached to the shaft 53 is a power-take-oif projection 60 for operating the case shift mechanism disclosed in said co-pending application.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangement of the present invention is merely illustrative of the application of the principles thereof. Other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a keyboard apparatus, a series of keylevers, a universal operating bar, a counting code blade corresponding to each keylever, a counting code blade selector unit comprising a plurality of push bar mechanisms, each push bar mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced pivots, a push bar mounted pivotally on one of said pivots, said push bar having an abuttal portion impingable against its associated counting code blade and a hook portion engageable with said universal operating bar, a pivot link mounted on another of said pivots, said push bar and pivot link oppositely directed from their respective pivots in confronting and overlapping manner, spacer means interposed between said push bar and said link and articulated thereto at the other of said pivots respectively at the overlapping portions thereof, spring means distended between each push bar and its associated pivot link for attrahently biasing said overlapping push bar and pivot link against said spacer means on the abuttal side of said push bar whereby said push bar, pivot link and spacer means normally seek to attain a state of equilibrium about a center line drawn through said push bar and pivot link pivots, and up-stop means for arresting the movement of said push bar mechanism at a point short of said state of equilibrium, whereby following the operation of said push bar mechanism by a keylever, said push bar mechanism upon the release thereof will seek automatically to return to said up-stop means under the influence of said spring means.

2. In a keyboard apparatus, a series of keylevers, a universal operating bar, a counting code blade corresponding to each keylever, a counting code blade selector unit comprising a plurality of push bar mechanisms, each push bar mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced pivots, a push bar mounted pivotally on one of said pivots, said push bar having an abuttal portion impingable against its associated counting code blade and a hook portion engageable with said universal operating bar, a pivot link mounted on another of said pivots, said push bar and pivot link oppositely directed from their respective pivots in confronting and overlapping manner, spacer means interposed between said push bar and said link and articulated thereto at the other of said pivots respectively at the overlapping portions thereof, a single spring distended between each push bar and its associated pivot link for attrahently biasing said overlapping push bar and pivot link against said spacer means on the abuttal side of said push bar whereby saidpush bar, pivot link and spacer means normally seek to attain a state of equilibrium about a center line drawn through said push bar and pivot link pivots, and up-stop means for arresting the movement of said push bar mechanism at a point short of said state of equilibrium, whereby following the operation of said push bar mechanism by UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 22,350 'Cooke July 20, 1943 10 2,019,505 Reiber Nov. 5, 1935 2,213,223 Krum Sept. 3, 1940 2,620,877 Furman Dec. 9, 1952 

